Date Night--Wednesday, October 23, 1013

I'm all over the map with tonight's menu.  We're beginning Italian (sorta), and as best I can tell the main meal is Frenchy.  I don't know really, but it all sounds very good.

Let's start, shall we?

Cocktail:

Manhattans.  I am actually going to have one too.  I haven't done that in quite a while but the numbers keep bouncing around on the scale, I have "bonus points," and frankly, I'm tired of depriving myself.

Appetizers:

Pizza Logs.  I've made these before.  They're very easy and very yummy.

Pizza Logs

Source: Emily Bites Original

Ingredients:

8 egg roll wrappers (larger than wonton wrappers)

8 teaspoons store-bought pizza sauce

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

24 turkey pepperoni slice (I used Hormel)

4 light Mozzarella string cheese sticks, each cut in half horizontally to make two shorter sticks (I used Weight Watchers brand – recommended!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Pour some water into a small dish and set aside. On a flat surface, place an egg roll wrapper, corner facing toward you (like a diamond) and spread a teaspoon of pizza sauce horizontally across the center of the wrapper, leaving ½ inch or so of space on each side. Sprinkle a pinch of Italian seasoning across the sauce and add a row of 3 pepperoni slices over the sauce. Place half a cheese stick on top of the pepperoni. Fold the bottom corner closest to you up over the ingredients and give it a 90 degree roll. Fold the side corners in and tuck them as you give the filled section another 90 degree roll. Dip your finger in the dish or reserved water and lightly wet the edges of the remaining top corner of the wrapper. Finish rolling the filled pizza log over the wet corner so that it adheres. Place wrapped pizza log onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. When all of the pizza logs are wrapped and on the baking sheets, mist the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 10-14 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wrappers are golden brown. 

Serving suggestion: Serve with additional pizza sauce for dipping if desired (not included in nutrition calculations)

Yields 8 pizza logs. WW P+:  2 per pizza log (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information per egg roll from myfitnesspal.com: 97 calories, 13 g carbs, 2 g fat, 7 g protein, 1 g fiber

Dinner:

I printed this one a while ago.  It just sounded and looked sooooo good.  I will likely add the citrus zest to the juice mixture.  All I can say is YUM!

Roasted Citrus Herb Chicken Recipe – 4 Points 

Roasted Citrus Herb Chicken

Succulent, juicy, herb and citrus roasted chicken that melts in your mouth, and yet is still low in Weight Watchers Points. This is a very easy, healthy dinner recipe that looks and tastes like it took hours to prepare. Scrumptious, yet insanely simple.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 6 fillets
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 whole oranges
• 2 whole lemons
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin wedges
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, juice from 1 lemon, juice from 1 orange, sugar, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Place chicken and onion slices in a medium sized casserole dish, and our juice mixture all over, making sure to coat all pieces evenly.
4. Slice remaining orange and lemon, and place evenly throughout the chicken pieces.
5. Sprinkle all over with thyme, rosemary, and additional salt and pepper (if desired).
6. Place in oven, and roast uncovered for about 35 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked through.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 35 minute(s)

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate, High protein

Number of servings (yield): 6

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Calories: 203

Fat: 3.5

Protein: 32

Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is 1 cut of chicken
Each serving = 4 Points +
PER SERVING: 203 calories; 3.5g fat; 5g carbohydrates; 32g protein; 0g fiber

Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2013/09/25/roasted-citrus-herb-chicken-recipe/#ixzz2ia0U44Ql

Veggie:

I just love, I mean LOVE brussels sprouts.

Delicious Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Created by my wonderful son Evan, here’s a super easy, really yummy way to make Brussels sprouts. They’re steamed in the microwave to soften and sauteed in a pan with olive oil, garlic and balsamic vinegar, until blacked. Made this way creates a wonderful sweetness. Each skinny serving has 85 calories, 3.6 grams of fat and 2 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS. It might even make some Brussels sprout lovers in your family…It has in mine!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients
1 (16 oz) bag Brussels sprouts
Olive oil spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 dash cayenne pepper, to add spice, optional
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste

Instructions
1. Poke a few holes in the bag of Brussels sprouts and steam in microwave for about 2-2½ minutes, until soft. To cook on cooktop: Add Brussels sprouts to a pot and add a little water. Cover pot and steam until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain and cut each in half.
2. Coat a large nonstick pan with olive oil cooking spray. Heat olive oil in pan. Add Brussels sprouts and garlic. Season with a little salt and pepper and a dash of cayenne, if desired. Saute over medium-high heat. Continue to stir often. Use a spatula to turn over several times. Add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook until blackened.
Makes 4 serving (each serving about ¾ cup)

Starch:

Come on.  I'm married to Mr. Potato Head. (Okay, he calls himself Mr. Lucky.  Lucky?  Potato?  Is there really a difference?)   There has to be a starch involved. In every meal.

 Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Herbs and Garlic

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Weight Watchers Recipe

Ratings (152) Rate it

3PointsPlus Value

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Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 35 min

Other time: 0 min

Serves: 4

Perfect with burgers, roast chicken or scrambled eggs. Use any combination of herbs you have on hand.

Ingredients   1 pound(s) uncooked potato(es), fingerling, washed and dried    2 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided    1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste    2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), finely minced, or to taste    1 1/2 tsp rosemary, fresh, minced, or to taste    1/2 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped, or to taste    1/2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped, or to taste    1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste    Instructions Preheat oven to 500ºF; warm a baking pan inside oven while preparing potatoes. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and sea salt until well-coated. Reduce oven to 425ºF; remove hot pan from oven. Spread potatoes onto pan; roast about 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine garlic, herbs and pepper in same bowl you used for potatoes. After potatoes have been cooking for 20 to 25 minutes, remove pan from oven; carefully toss potatoes with herb mixture. Return pan to oven; roast until potatoes are crispy outside and soft inside, about 5 to 10 minutes more. Yields 1/4 of potatoes per serving.

 Dessert:

Mini  Apple Pies.  I like apple pie.  A lot actually.  I make an out of this world bourbon soaked cherry apple pie.   I don't want to know how that would point out.  So I'll make these instead.  And love the almost as much.

15 Minute Mini Apple Pies!

 

View online: http://dashingdish.com/recipe/15-minute-mini-apple-pies/

Ingredients

Pie Shells:
12	Wonton wrappers
1 tbs	Baking stevia (or 2 tbs sweetener that measures like sugar)
1/4 tsp	Cinnamon
Apple Pie Filling:
3 medium	Apples, peeled, diced into small chunks
1/8 tsp	Salt
1/2 tsp	Cinnamon
1/4 tsp	Apple pie spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
2 tbs	Low sugar maple syrup or honey
2 tbs	Baking stevia (or 1/4 cup sweetener that measures like sugar)
1	WWP+*

Method

The estimated time to make this recipe is 10-15 minutes.

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

2

Line each muffin tin with wonton wrappers, and spray wonton wrappers with cooking spray.Sprinkle wonton wrappers with cinnamon and sweetener mixture. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just lightly golden brown.

3

In the meantime, prepare the apple mixture. In a medium-sized bowl combine the diced apples with the spices and syrup/honey. Add the apple mixture to the microwave and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. (Note: You can also place apples in a large skillet with spices and syrup/honey and cook over low heat until apples are tender.)

4

Remove apple pie mixture  from microwave and let cool. Add mixture to baked wonton wrappers. Serve with Tru Whip or light vanilla ice cream.

So that's what's cooking in my kitchen tonight.  As of this moment, I have done the first bake on the potatoes.  I need to beautify myself and continue with the dinner prep.  I estimate about an hour and half till go time.  Think I can make it? 

happy cooking!